Mission Statement

The Iowa Pork Producers Association: Promoting, educating and providing a leading voice for a sustainable, socially responsible and globally competitive pork industry.

 

IPPA Overview

History

IPPA was originally known as the Iowa Swine Growers Association, with meetings dating back to the early 1930s. ISGA began meeting regularly to find solutions for management problems, disease control and how to improve the hog through genetics, breeding and nutrition. By the early 1960s, pork production evolved into an industry where more producers raised hogs only for market, while breeding stock producers became more specialized. Producers also began to recognize the growing number of factors that were impacting the profitability of the operations. A small group of producers was determined to push pork’s message of a delicious, versatile product beyond the farm. As the excitement caught on, county groups were formed, meetings held, and in April 1968, the Iowa Pork Producers Association was formed.

 

Overview

IPPA serves as a unified voice for Iowa’s pork producers. IPPA is a grassroots organization that consists of approximately 70 structured county associations across the state, with more than 4,000 affiliated and associate members. Every producer, regardless of size, has a voice in IPPA through a county-elected delegate system. Click here to learn more about the Iowa pork industry.

 

Iowa Pork Foundation

The Iowa Pork Foundation (IPF) is operated to support or benefit Iowa pork producers.

In recent years, the IPF has distributed scholarships to young people with an interest in agriculture in the state of Iowa. At least $25,000 has been awarded annually for these scholarships.

In addition, the IPF supports the internship program at IPPA, with three interns each year.

Contact:
Iowa Pork Foundation
c/o Iowa Pork Producers Association
1636 N.W. 114th St.
Clive, IA 50325-7071

County pork producer organizations

Local pork producers join forces at the county level and fund the organization through a membership fee, which also provides them with membership to the IPPA and to the National Pork Producers Council. County organizations support their local communities in a variety of ways, including classroom visits, grilling events, sponsoring local programs and partnerships with retailers and restaurants to promote pork and pork products. County organizations also play an important role in representing their local pork producers to key elected officials and opinion leaders in their community. During the annual meeting in January, county delegates have the opportunity to identify their own priorities by developing and changing policy on behalf of Iowa’s pork producers.

 

IPPA leadership

The IPPA Board of Directors oversees leadership and direction for all IPPA Pork Checkoff Programs, public policy and general direction. The board consists of producers in the following positions:
  • PresidentDistrict map color
  • President-elect
  • Past President
  • Eight District Directors
  • Four Region Directors
  • One Allied Director
  • One Iowa Purebred Swine Council Representative
  • One National Pork Board Representative
  • One National Pork Producers Council Representative
Each November, all members vote by ballots for the candidate of their choice in their own district. A three-member nominating committee selects director candidates.

 

2022 IPPA Annual Report
2022 Annual Report Cover

The Pork Checkoff in Iowa

The present Checkoff rate is .35 percent of the market value of each hog, or 35 cents per $100 of value. Iowa, the largest pork producing state in the nation, with nearly 30 million hogs produced annually, contributes a third of the nation’s pork supply and generates nearly one third of all Checkoff revenue in the United States. IPPA receives 16.5 percent of all Checkoff money collected on sales of hogs originating from Iowa. The remaining 83.5 percent of the funds collected from Iowa hog sales are invested in national programs developed by the National Pork Board.

 

How are Pork Checkoff programs planned by IPPA?

New programs are developed by county delegates during the IPPA Annual Meeting or by the board of directors. An official IPPA committee oversees each program. IPPA typically has 15 working committees that bring together almost 200 producers, allied industry associates, specialists and experts to discuss and improve the areas of promotion, research, producer education and consumer information.

 

IPPA Checkoff Expenses (Oct. 1, 2019–Sept. 30, 2020)

Consumer Information & Promotion – 40%
Producer Education – 40%
Research – 20%

 

IPPA and public policy

IPPA serves as the voice of Iowa pork producers on the state and national level. IPPA plays an active role in the rule making process for livestock environmental regulations, air and water quality issues and numerous advocacy efforts.

 

How are policy decisions made by IPPA?

Public policy decisions are made by the delegate body during the IPPA Annual Meeting, by the IPPA Public Policy Committee and the IPPA Board of Directors. Congress prohibits the use of Checkoff funds for legislative issues. Therefore, government affairs programs are funded primarily in three ways:
  • IPPA Membership Dues
  • Strategic Investment Program
  • Revenue generated from the Iowa Pork Tent at the Iowa State Fair and Iowa Pork Congress
IPPA Membership dues vary by county and usually range from $25 to $45 annually. Producers and allied businesses join their county pork producer organization, which guarantees them membership with IPPA and the National Pork Producers Council. The Strategic Investment Program is a voluntary funding program to support public policy and advocacy programs in Iowa and on a national level. The assessment is 10 cents per $100 of value, with 40 percent of the collections distributed to IPPA and the remaining 60 percent going to the National Pork Producers Council.

 

Non-Checkoff Revenue (Oct. 1, 2019–Sept. 30, 2020)

Strategic Investment Program Receipts – 61.1%
Iowa Pork Congress Net Income – 28.5%
Other* – 10.4%
* Other income includes memberships, and dividend and interest income.

 

Non-Checkoff Expenses (Oct. 1, 2019–Sept. 30, 2020)

Public Policy** – 63%
Special Projects*** – 29%
Iowa Pork Tent – 8%
** These expenses include SIP and Grassroots activity.

 

Communicating with producers

IPPA communicates to nearly 20,000 Iowa pork producers, educators and industry professionals through the Iowa Pork Producer magazine, Headlines newsletter, the bi-weekly IPPA News for Members electronic newsletter, the Leadership Update and the IPPA website.